


sealed with a kiss

by bleulily (wollstoncrafts)



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Canon Era, F/F, Falling In Love, Letters, post-barricades
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 19:55:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21874288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wollstoncrafts/pseuds/bleulily
Summary: A year after the events of the barricades, Éponine and Cosette keep meeting each other over and over again
Relationships: Cosette Fauchelevent/Éponine Thénardier
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26
Collections: Les Mis Holiday Exchange (2019)





	sealed with a kiss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [writelights](https://archiveofourown.org/users/writelights/gifts).



> I wrote this little fic for the holiday exchange organised on tumblr. It took me a while to settle down into this idea, though from the beginning I knew I wanted to write a story in which Éponine and Cosette kept meeting each other everywhere, and I just went from there.
> 
> Thank you so much to my friend Niky who helped me beta-read this!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy <3

September 18, 1834

  
  


Dear Cosette,

Though I can imagine you must be quite vexed to be receiving a letter from me, I ought to remind you that it was you who encouraged me to do so in the first place. It has been well over a month since our paths last crossed, and although I didn’t think you would remember me, I suppose it was rather nice to see you again after so long. 

A friend of mine has been encouraging me to practice my writing, as I haven’t done so in quite a while. He has also encouraged me to visit a communal living place where I can stay. There’s a girl who lives there that I’ve come to know over the past few months, I think she’s in love with two of the students I have come to befriend as of late. She’s very kind, and she promised to teach me to sew my own clothes, and I think she might find it easier if we all live together under the same roof.

I’m not entirely sure why I’m telling you any of this. But I hope, perhaps, to be able to see you again soon so I can deliver these news without ever having to write such ridiculous notions as these.

  
  
Regards,

Éponine Thénardier

* * *

  
  


October 3, 1834

Dear Cosette, 

I must admit it was quite a surprise to see you the other day, it seems almost as though something strange may be in the wind. We hadn’t seen each other for so many years, and now all of the sudden you’re in my life again, but not because I stand between you and someone else. It feels a bit strange to say that, both in a relieving but uncomfortable way.

I have a new home now, as I followed the advice from my friend. It’s not such a grand place, not like the home you lived in a year ago when I helped Marius deliver his own letters to you. But it’s quaint and the other women living with me are quite warm and welcoming. Ever since I got a new employment at the café, I find it easier to afford living in a place such as this. Often times, my little brother Gavroche comes to visit and even spends the night here. I wonder if you still remember him. It’s comfortable, and I have to admit I’ve grown to quite like this kind of living.

Some nights, Musichetta and Elodie prepare warm drinks for us to share when we come back home after long days. I was on my way out to gather some milk the other day when I found you by the seamstress seeking for whoever had accompanied you. Never thought I’d see you around this side of town, but as I previously mentioned, it was very pleasant to have a small chat with you before we parted ways again.

I rather enjoy being your friend.

Regards,

Éponine Thénardier

* * *

  
  


October 14, 1834

  
  


Dear Cosette,

I must apologise on behalf of my friend Monsieur Combeferre.

You see, it’s not often that they come to the café, at the very least, not more than one. Their meetings have become more clandestine over the course of the past year, and they mostly communicate through letters I have, on more than one occasion, helped them deliver.

But as you well know, from Marius, I presume--they have found La Chez Rosé to be quite a welcoming place to study and pass the time. It is often that I find myself falling into conversation with either of them, and even find myself being visited by Musichetta who has become quite a friend to me. She likes to make sure I am doing well at work, and even offers to aid me whenever needed. She reminds me of Monsieur Combeferre, I will admit, who was quite thrilled to hear of my moving into a new home, as he had been the one to mention the place to me in the first place.

We had fallen into conversation through the course of the evening, as it often happens, when we realised you and Marius had walked into the place to follow Monsieur Courfeyrac and Monsieur Enjolras to their table. As always, seeing you was quite the surprise, especially in such places in which mostly gentlemen and ladies more as myself are the ones to be found.

But as you well know the story, Monsieur Combeferre gave us the strangest look when you walked to me with the radiant smile you often have that lights up whatever room you might be in. He doesn’t always act in such a way, he’s quite the gentleman, and a very studious one at that. I was as surprised as you when he gave us that sly smile and excused himself before he walked away and joined his friends. You must forgive him, as he was probably quite vexed to see me looking forward to chatting with anyone who doesn’t live among their group. I’m not usually the kind of person to make friends easily.

But it was nice to see you again and hear from you. I was quite happy when you said you looked forward to seeing me again. I do as well.

  
  


Regards,

Éponine Thénardier

* * *

  
  


October 25, 1834

  
  


Dear Cosette,

  
  


I must confess, I was able to see you today, though I’m not at all certain that you recognised me as well.

I was at the Jardin de Tuileries with a friend, his name is Monsieur Grantaire. He can be quite the character, but I find him to be more agreeable as the months pass. He’s an artist, you see, and although he’s not precisely the most successful, I find him to be very interesting indeed. He is quite knowledgeable and well-read--sometimes he tells me stories from the books he has read, and the people he has known. He is most certainly an excellent liar, but I rather enjoy learning new things from him. I think you could like him too.

We were looking over my little brother Gavroche, who had taken upon an errand he was running for Enjolras, a message for another revolutionary, I imagine. Grantaire was painting the flowers laying before us and I waited for Gavroche to return, when you passed near us with a gentleman I am almost certain was your father. He’s quite a formidable man, though I’m sure you already know. My friend Grantaire had stared at him with both admiration and something I thought to be recognition. Your father had been there with us at the barricades a year back.

I must have been quite surprised to see you there, for my friend Grantaire had later given me a look that I couldn’t quite recognise. I admit, I was very happy to see you again. It mustn’t be often that I smile when I recognise a person.

Perhaps the next time, you will recognise me as well.

  
  


Yours truly,

Éponine Thénardier

* * *

  
  


November 17, 1834

  
  


Dearest Cosette,

  
  


It appears my friends have noticed I’ve been spending more and more time with you, as they keep making comments on the subject.

I dare say, we truly have been spending quite a lot of time with one another in the past month, and I have to admit, I’ve been rather enjoying it. Before you and the barricades, I’ve never truly had a person in my life that I would call a friend. I know that we were friends when we were children, and though I’m not certain you remember, I suppose I did think of you as such. But that took a sour turn, one that I’m not very proud of.

I received a visit from Monsieur Courfeyrac this afternoon. He asked me to aid him handle an illicit letter to another revolutionary. It’s quite a common occurrence to be true, and although it is more common for Gavroche to run such errands, I know Monsieur Courfeyrac and Monsieur Combeferre like to ask after my well-being, and chat with me for a time before they resume their daily tasks. Courfeyrac mentioned how soon he should be travelling to the country to visit his father’s estate where he’ll spend the holidays with his family. I wasn’t surprised when he asked me if I had any particular plans for Christmas, as I know he usually asks for my own side of life, but I was quite surprised when afterwards he mentioned me spending the holiday with you and your father, if I had no plans on my own. How insolent he can be sometimes, certainly!

I do wonder though, if you have any special plans to spend the holidays, for I’d be quite sad if I have to spend too long without seeing you.

  
  


Yours truly,

Éponine Thénardier

* * *

  
  


November 26, 1834

  
  


Dearest Cosette,

  
  


I have to tell you how happy it makes me that you come to visit me regularly at work. It can be rather dull at times, particularly those days in which both of the gentleman I’ve come to be quite accustomed to are away. Several of them have begun their travels away from here to visit their families, and others are too focused on their studies to take a moment to have a warm drink.

It was why then I was so surprised to see Monsieur Enjolras and Monsieur Courfeyrac chatter with another gentleman at the corner of the café when you and Marius walked in. I was, of course, very thrilled to see you, though I must say you made me rather distracted. I was making sure no one of importance walked into the place to inspect the young gentlemen and their conversation, or at the very least, that no one looked at them weirdly. But alas, you can be quite vexing when you wish to be. I cannot take too long focused elsewhere when you’re in the room.

You asked after my brother and how we would be living the next few weeks. I know you must be worried about us having a proper warm room as the weather has begun to change, but the sparkle in your eye told me there was something else you might be hinting at, and I know it to be related to the conversation I had with Monsieur Courfeyrac, so I shall tell you once and for all that I will not take advantage of yours and your father’s kindness, and my brother and I shall spend our Christmas as we did so the year prior: with each other, in my own lodgings.

I do appreciate your kindness, and I love you all the more so for it. 

Did you notice the way with which Marius stared at us that evening? Is there something I should be concerned about?

  
  


Yours truly,

Éponine Thénardier. 

* * *

  
  


December 12, 1834

  
  


Dearest Cosette,

I must inform you that the other girls I’ve been living with for the past few months have also parted temporarily to spend the holidays away. Elodie and Musichetta promised to write to me, as I insisted to hear from them while they make their travels. Musichetta has gone with Monsieur Joly to visit his family, and she’s quite thrilled to finally hear from them. 

I haven’t had much time to spend away from the café, it has certainly become more dull now that there’s not many faces I have come accustomed to, but I found Marius on his own the other night, and was pleased to find he eased himself into conversation with me. I must be honest with you as you have been so with me ever since we became acquainted with each other again in the past few months: I thought whatever dalliance you two had the past year to exist still, but he informed me that I was wrong, and you two chose to stay friends a few months after the barricades. I have to admit I was quite shocked to hear the news, but some part of me felt relief when he told me his story. I don’t think I could handle his gaze when I spend so much time keeping you away from him if you were to be married or something of the sort--he is, after all, my old friend.

I expect to see you soon at the café, for I dearly love Marius, but he is simply not you.

  
  


Yours truly,

Éponine Thénardier 

* * *

  
  


December 16, 1834

  
  


Dearest Cosette,

  
  


I do not know how else to tell you this, but I’ve been thinking about my last letter, and the emotions it caused me to know you and Marius aren’t together.

In truth, it’s been in the back of my mind for quite a while now, but I thought it to be best to ignore it and forget. Nevertheless, these feelings have been quite persistent, and I don’t believe it will be easy to forget that which we love so fiercely.

It is why then, I must confess that for a while now, I’ve thought of you as merely a friend. Every day I spend with you is a day I know will be happy. And although I cannot understand how the gentlemen I call my friends were able to see it sooner, I do believe my feelings to be as clear as water. I don’t believe I need to tell you of them, but please allow me to do so for this moment before you choose to part from me. 

You are the dearest, most beautiful woman I have ever beheld, and every moment I spend away from you, I spend it thinking about you.

Whatever happens, I need you to know this.

  
  


Yours forever,

Éponine

* * *

  
  


December 18, 1834

  
  


Dearest Cosette,

  
  


I am ever so sorry.

  
  


Yours,

Éponine

* * *

  
  


December 24, 1834

  
  


My dearest Cosette,

  
  


Though I’m certainly sure you don’t want to hear from me after the events from three days ago, I must tell you how dear to me you are.

It must not come as a surprise to you, as you’ve very well read each of these letters and noticed the affection with which I referred to you after conversing with Marius. And although I refused your invitations over and over again, I did dwell on whether or not I should take them, for I long to spend my Christmas with you as I long to spend every day in your company. Nevertheless, I cannot take advantage of your kindness, much less when I have been pandering over these feelings for the past month. I do not wish to make you uncomfortable, but I also cannot bear the thought of losing your friendship.

I do not know how else to dwell on these emotions, so if you must, please tell me what shall I do next to mend whatever has befallen upon us.

  
  


Yours forever,

Éponine

* * *

  
  


December 26, 1834

  
  


My darling Éponine,

  
  


Thank you for writing each of these letters for me, it has been a true delight to read each of them, though it is with utmost regret that I only answer to them after all this time.

I wish you had shown them to me sooner, as I wish we had had this conversation a long while ago without either of us running away frightened for whichever the other meant to say next. But alas, what’s done is done, and Christmas time came upon us as a star to bring each and every desire that we have.

It seems to me Christmas is the luckiest day of my life, for it brought me a father many years ago, and it brought me you now after all this time. I must admit I didn’t quite remember you at first, not last year at the very least, when you aided Marius with the letters we exchanged to one another. How strange a time that was, I had only lived outside of the convent for only so long, and didn’t know what love truly was. But I have grown, and known the world a little better, and I understand now that whatever I felt for him then cannot compare to whatever I feel for you now. I wish I had told you this sooner.

I have to admit I was quite surprised to find you and your brother outside of my door that morning on Christmas Eve. It has only been two days ever since, how quickly time passes! It seemed to me as though he had dragged you there, with every intention of giving me the last letter you had written to me, and possibly mend whatever had happened between us two. You must tell him how grateful I really am, for if it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t be here, laying on my bed sleeping soundly as I write. It was ever such a delight to spend Christmas with each of you and my father, and to finally have a moment to talk to you about my feelings, and discuss that which had been crossing our minds for the past month.

I didn’t think you would ever do it. And I was so afraid you didn’t feel the same.

But all is done and all’s been said, and I’m ever so glad to call you my dearest, for I cannot think of having to part another day from you. Thank you for sharing all these memories of you with me, I hope we can share more of those in the future.

Do write to me more when you are back in your lodgings, for I’m certain the gentlemen you call friends will be delighted to hear the news, and Iong to hear all the stories you wish to share with me.

  
  


All the love and affection,

Cosette

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this fic, I hope it was enjoyable! You can also find me on [tumblr](https://eponinearchive.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> I've also done fanart for this fic, which you can find in [here](https://eponinearchive.tumblr.com/tagged/20s-au).


End file.
